


unspoken (spoken)

by Pawprinter



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Getting Back Together, Speculation, the one where nini goes after ricky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22190332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pawprinter/pseuds/Pawprinter
Summary: When Ricky leaves the drama production, Nini goes after him.post-episode 9 spec fic
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 6
Kudos: 162





	unspoken (spoken)

**Author's Note:**

> This has spoilers to 1x09! Spoiler free for the finale (episode 10) though because this was written before I saw it!
> 
> That being said, I wrote this at like 4am last week after watching episode 9. I decided to just post it because, why not?
> 
> Enjoy.

As soon as the song ended and the spotlights dimmed, the forced smile fell from Nini’s face and she stumbled a few steps away from EJ.

This wasn’t right.  _ This wasn’t right.  _

EJ stood where  _ he  _ was supposed to be, wearing  _ his  _ costume, singing  _ his  _ part.

Through the darkness, she could see his face change from adoration to crestfallen. The crew moved around them, shifting the set for the next number. For a moment, she felt frozen in time, staring at EJ, her heart  _ aching  _ in her chest.

_ This wasn’t right. _

Where was Ricky?

Her stomach twisted as soon as she stepped on stage and saw EJ in Ricky’s costume and the feeling hadn’t subsided since. Her chest felt tight. Her mind wasn’t on the scene — it was off-stage, wondering, worrying, racing.

They were still shrouded in darkness. EJ watched her, his forehead creased with confusion.

She was confused and worried and—

She needed to find Ricky.

“Why?” she hissed, knowing the mics were already off. “Why are you— Where is—”

“Let’s go,” he urged. Nini faltered. EJ’s gaze flicked behind her, off-stage. In that moment, she realized he wasn't looking at her in confusion — he was looking at her with worry.  _ He was worried for Ricky.  _ “Nini, he—”

She grabbed his wrist and, together, they stumbled off-stage. They weren’t supposed to leave set during the prop adjustment, but she couldn’t stand out there and have a full conversation with him. Besides, it wasn’t like they could start the next scene without them.

As soon as they were behind the curtain, she spoke. “What happened?” she pressed. Her heart raced. Her gaze snapped from head to head, from face to face, desperate for answers, desperate for— “Where’s Ricky?”

“He said he couldn’t do it,” EJ explained. His grip was tight on her shoulder, grounding her. “He— he gave me the jersey, told me I needed to go out there, that he wasn’t good enough for this and you and the agent and—”

“Oh, no.” Her dread felt like a wave during a storm; it crashed into her like the ocean against the shore. “No, no, no—”

“Places, people!” Natalie called. “Troy, Gabriella, on-stage!”

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think.

She knew how hard Ricky worked for this — she knew how important this was to him — and he wouldn’t give up the role lightly. Something was wrong, something more than not being good enough for a scouting agent. 

The worry in her chest made her blood turn to ice and her limbs freeze up.  _ And the need —  _ the need to go to him, to find him, to talk to him—

“I—” She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. “I— No.”

Moments ago, the stage and the performance felt like the most important thing in her life. Now, all she could think about was leaving it all to check and make sure her friend was okay.

“Nini?”

“I— I—” 

Despite everything they went through, she still cared about him. She still knew him, and she knew he wasn’t okay.  _ And she was worried.  _ She wouldn’t be able to focus on the performance even if she wanted to, knowing someone she cared about —  _ someone she loved —  _ was out there and struggling.

She locked eyes with EJ. “I— I need to go. I have to make sure he’s alright, I have to—”

“I know.” His hand squeezed her shoulder. His eyes pierced hers. “Go,” he told her again. “I know you want to. I know you, Nini, and I know you need to check on him.”

Her eyes flicked over EJ’s shoulder, towards the set. Her chest tightened. Her heart hurt. “But the show, I can't go, I can’t  _ leave.  _ I—”

“I’ll stall.” He smiled. “I’ve got your back. Just— go. And hurry.”

“I can’t. I— What are you going to do? I can’t just—”

“I’ll improvise.” EJ released his hold on her and walked a few steps backwards. “I got this. Just… make sure he’s okay.”

Nini could’ve cried.

“Thank you,” she breathed. “I’ll be back soon.”

With that, they both turned away from each other and ran in opposite directions.

Later, Nini wouldn’t have been able to say where she ran, nor would she have remembered who she bumped into. All she knew was the steady thrum of her heart and  _ his name  _ and the worry racing through her veins. 

“Ricky!” she shouted, sprinting backstage.

All she could think about was him. 

She breezed past crew members. Her heart was in her throat. His mind was racing faster than her legs. She heard people calling out to her, but she couldn’t form words or coherent thoughts. 

All she could think about was him.

Ricky.

_ Ricky, Ricky, Ri— _

“Ricky!” she shouted again. Nini found herself in the theatre room, surrounded by cast and crew members alike. Her chest heaved from exertion, from adrenaline, from worry. “Ricky. Where’s Ricky?” She spun to the next person. “Do you know where he is?”

_ Nobody knew. _

She grew more desperate as the seconds raced passed. Nini knew she didn’t have much time — she had to get on stage. If she couldn’t find him, she’d have to ignore her own thoughts and try her hardest to—

“Ricky?!” she called out, now more desperate than ever. Her call echoed along the empty hallway. In the distance, she could hear EJ’s muffled voice and the roar of a crowd. It seemed so far away, like she wasn’t just running through hallways, but through a different reality, too. “Rick—”

_ There. _

Ricky stood on the other end of the hallway — so far away, yet so close. For a long moment, Nini’s feet were rooted to the ground. Time seemed to stand still. The world grew to a quiet hush around her.

And, just for a moment, it was the two of them.

He was too far away to make out details, but she noticed how disheveled he looked. He wore a hoodie paired with his red shorts. His hair stuck out in odd directions. Even from this distance, she could tell he was tense, just from the way he held himself.

She swallowed thickly. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Despite having raced off stage and half-way across school to find him, she struggled to think of the right words to say.

So, simply, she said,  _ “Ricky.” _

That was enough to break both of them from their trances. They moved forward at the same time — always in-synch, always coordinated, always moving like a well rehearsed dance.

“Nini,” he said, his voice strained. “What are you doing here? The show—”

“The show can wait,” she decided. 

She was closer now and was able to see every detail of his face. Her heart lurched when she realized he had been crying. His eyes were red, his face puffy, his lips twisted into a grimace. He looked scared and exhausted and—  _ she wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him. _

She didn’t. 

“I’m so worried about you,” she said. They came to stand a foot away from each other. He still felt so far away, especially when she was so tempted to pull him into her arms. “You left, and EJ is on stage, and I didn’t know what happened, and-”

“No.” His eyes slid shut. He looked utterly defeated. “No, that’s not what— that’s not what I wanted. You’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be—”

“No, Ricky.” She inched forward and tried to catch his eye with hers. “Hey. Is everything okay?”

“No, it’s not.” His hands shook at his sides. He looked so lost, so confused, so hurt and it broke her heart. “I’m not okay, but I’d be better knowing you’re out there, on stage, performing.” They locked eyes. “What are you doing, Nini? You’re—”

“What are  _ you  _ doing?” she echoed. “What’s wrong? EJ said that you left because you think you’re not good enough? I mean, if so, you know that’s ridiculous. Right?” When he didn’t answer, her smile grew more forced. “It’s ridiculous, Ricky. You know that, right?”

He didn’t speak. He stared at her for a long moment, his lips pressed together into a thin line, his eyes intense. He looked like he wanted to say a thousand things, but didn’t.

“Ricky…”

He closed his eyes again. She could tell his smile was forced. “You need EJ, Nini. Just… go. You need to get back out there.”

“What? No.”

“Nini—”

“Ricky—”

“I’m serious—”

“And so am I.” Nini inched closer to him once again. “Ricky, what’s going on?”

“I’m  _ not  _ good enough. That’s what’s going on.” He laughed. It felt like a punch to the gut. “There’s the dean of your dream school out there. She can change your whole life, Nini. And with everything going on with my mom, I can’t— I keep making mistakes. I can’t screw this up for you. I won’t.”

“Wait… what’s going on with your mom?” His expression was heartbreaking. It felt like her heart was going to crack in two. “Ricky.” She reached for him, knowing the shared touch would bring both of them strength.

“She’s here with her new boyfriend.” He pressed his lips together and looked anywhere but at her. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I just— I’m screwing up, and I  _ can’t  _ screw up. Not when there’s so much on the line for you. I can’t mess this up for you.”

“You’re not fine,” she pointed out. His eyes snapped to hers. She could see straight through his mask. “You’re not fine, and  _ that’s okay.  _ We don’t have to talk about it right now, but you don’t need to pretend like you’re okay. Not with me.”

_ Never with me. _

A beat of silence passed between them. Ricky sniffed and shuffled his feet. “Yeah. You’re right. I’m not okay.”

“And that’s totally okay.” Her thumb brushed along his forearm. “But… Ricky… you’re not going to screw up. You  _ are  _ good enough.” He let out a short bark of laughter and pulled away from her. “I’m serious.”

“I am too. I’ll— I’ll get out there and forget everything, and you’ll be stuck on stage with a horrible Troy, and— and— the dean of the school is here.”

Nini bit her lip. “I can’t do this without you.”

“Yes you can. I know you can.” He faced her again. “Come on, Nini. You can do this with a rock, you have so much talent.”

“I need you,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. On pure instinct, she reached towards him, needing to  _ show him  _ beyond pretty words that what she said was the truth. “I don’t need EJ right now, Ricky. I don’t need just anyone — I don’t need just any Troy. I need  _ you.  _ You’re my Troy. The Troy to my Gabriella.” She let out a watery laugh at this and took a step closer. “When I’m out there with you, I’m brave, and I need that right now. I need to feel brave. I need you beside me.”

“I can’t screw this up for you.” His expression crumpled and her chest grew tight. His grip tightened on hers, and she knew — he needed her just as much as she needed him in that moment. “I can’t do that, Nini. I can’t… I don’t know what I’m doing. And this is so important to you —  _ so important.  _ If I go out there, I’ll ruin everything. You need EJ.”

“No,” she insisted. “You might not believe in yourself, but  _ I believe in you.  _ I believe in you enough for the both of us. You’re a star out there, Ricky. You capture the attention of everyone watching, you transport them to a different world, you bring so much life to the stage.”

He shook his head. “No, Nini. I know—“

“You, Ricky. I need  _ you.” _

For the second time that day, the world seemed to stand still.

Nini felt lighter in that moment, as if telling him those three simple words unburdened her. She felt breathless, and good, and  _ free. _

Ricky stared at her — truly, openly stared. She met his gaze, unwavering. She studied his expression; how his eyes were wider than usual, how he looked frozen in time, how his lips were parted with shock, and—

_ His lips. _

Nini was struck with the sudden urge to kiss him. It hit her so forcefully that it made the air leave her lungs and her mouth run dry.

Slowly, she pulled her eyes back up to his. A long beat passed. The anticipation grew. Her pulse raced. Her heart yearned. 

“Ricky,” she breathed, shattering the silence.

He was the one to move forward, closing the distance between their two bodies. They were like the final two pieces of a puzzle falling back together, sliding into place perfectly.

When their lips met in the middle, she wasn’t too sure who initiated the kiss. She wasn’t sure if it mattered all that much. In that moment, all that mattered was his arms around her, and her lips against his, and their matched desperation.

Nini couldn’t recall a kiss ever feeling like  _ this —  _ so desperate, yet so tender at the same time. She grasped the front of his hoodie to steady herself. Her chest ached with the amount of love she felt in that moment.

When they pulled back, their chests were heaving. Nini didn’t relinquish her hold on his hoodie, nor did he pull away from her. His hand cup up to cup the side of her cheek, cradling her face sweetly.

“You,” Nini repeated, her voice lower than it was moments ago. She couldn’t help but smile. “It’s always been  _ you,  _ Ricky.”

“It’s always been you,” he echoed.

Their lips met for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> [Find me on Tumblr!](https://pawprinterfanfic.tumblr.com)  
> 


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